Premier Volleyball League Nxled Chameleons player May Luna couldn’t believe that she had a full circle moment with her idol, Donny Pangilinan!
It all started when Luna was able to visit Pangilinan on one of his practices for the Star Magic All Star Games 2025 last July 11, 2025.
“Sinusukatan kami ng jerseys. Nung time na pumunta siya sa training namin, tinanong ko siya. Sabi ko, ‘Sir Andrew [Tan], kayo po ba ‘yung, ‘yung magsu-supply ng jersey ng All-Star Games this year?’ Sabi niya, ‘Oo, sa amin nga din nagte-training eh. Nakita ko, idol na idol mo si Donny.’ Gumanon siya! So parang ‘Wait, sir! Oh my God!’” Luna narrated in an exclusive interview with The Philippine STAR.
“’Kayo po talaga may-ari ng basketball court?’ Sabi ko. Sabi niya, ‘Oo, kami talaga. Kasi sponsor kami.’ ‘Weh sir, pwede po ba ako manood [sa training nila Donny sa Star Magic all-star games]’ Gumanon ako? Sabi niya, ‘Oo, pwede naman,’” she added.
Luna then dropped by to their training and personally gave Donny a ticket to their game against Galeries Tower Highrisers last July 15, 2025.
“I’ll try my best to come,” Pangilinan can be heard saying to May in a video uploaded on TikTok.
For Luna, she didn’t expect Pangilinan to make time for their game but admitted she was all over the place meeting her idol again up close and personal.
Despite busy schedules and other commitments, Pangilinan made it just in time to the FilOil EcoOil Arena for Luna’s game.
“Hindi ko pa nakikita si Donny, alam ko na na nandoon siya sa game. Kasi kilala ko na ‘yung bodyguard niya. Sabi ko nga sa mga friends ko na Donny fans, ‘Guys, alam n’yo, ‘pag nanood talaga si Donny, ‘di ko na talaga kakayanin, mahimatay na lang talaga ako.’ Tapos, buti na lang, hindi ako nahimatay,” Luna said.
Adding, “Diyos ko, Day! Actually, hindi ko narinig ‘yung ‘Asan na si May, saan ‘yung hug.’ Sobrang speechless ko. Hindi ko talaga in-expect na manonood siya. Kasi sa sobrang busy niya ba naman like naisingit niya pa manood. Sabi niya, galing pa siya ng Batangas. Ang saya lang. Kasi, nabigyan niya kami ng time.”
According to Luna, everything started when she and her teammates made a shoutout to Pangilinan and invited him to watch their games.
“Kinausap ko na ‘yung teammates ko. Inisa-isa ko talaga silang lahat, ‘O, ikaw ha? Batiin mo muna ‘yung mga kailangan mong batiin, ‘yung pamilya mo.’ Sa huli na ako ha. Isha-shoutout natin si Donny,” she said.
“Kaya nung nanalo kami, ‘yung sigaw namin na ‘yun, hindi ‘Nxled! Nxled!’ Ang unang sinigaw namin, ‘Donny, Donny!’ Kasi nga, ‘yun nga, parang naano nga namin, na-manifest namin. I mean, maganda din naman kasi it’s our way of like motivation din na aside from winning meron din kaming nilu-look forward. Like right now, nilu-look forward namin na batiin ng second game si Jericho, third game si Alden. So, ‘di ba? Ang saya lang!” she added recalling their win while Pangilinan was in the crowd.
Luna said that she first met Pangilinan in a TV guesting when the DLSU Lady Spikers became champion in the UAAP.
When Pangilinan became the judge of Pilipinas Got Talent (PGT) and entered the Pinoy Big Brother House (PBB) as houseguest, Luna’s fan girling moment yet again ignited.
She then started watching live in the set of PGT and had a chance to have a close interaction with him.
“Gumawa kasi ako ng banner na, ‘Donny birthday ko, pa-picture naman.’ Tapos nakita niya, sabi niya, ‘Oh birthday mo, halika ka.’ So ‘yun na ‘yung unang picture namin. ‘Yun, tapos ano, parang paulit-ulit na lang ako nanonood ng PGT. Tapos the rest is history,” she happily shared.
“Aside naman talaga sa looks, kasi ‘yung ‘yung attitude niya talaga. I mean, my God, sobrang humble niya. Mas lalong ina-idol ko siya, kasi pwede niya namang hindi kami puntahan eh, pero pinuntahan niya kami, ‘di ba? Tsaka sobrang down to Earth niya talaga kita mo naman eh, tsaka mararamdaman mo naman ‘yun sa aura ng isang tao if he’s just faking it lang. especially noong PBB, kasi walang filter talaga doon, ‘di ba?” she stressed.
It took years for Luna to have a special moment with her idol, that is why she wants to tell fellow fans to patiently wait for their moment.
“Manifest lang nang manifest, guys. Kasi, ang tagal ko nag-manifest eh. Sa-success din tayo soon, pero step by step. Kasi, step by step din naman ‘yung nangyari sa akin, guys. Hindi naman ano, trinabaho ko naman talaga. ‘Di ba? So, ‘yun. Work hard lang,” she said.
